The invention relates generally to the disposal of energetic materials and more particularly to the conversion of Explosive D, i.e., ammonium pierate into useful products.
Ammonium pierate could be destroyed by such methods as incineration or decomposition in supercritical water, but it would be preferable if the products of the disposal method had commercial value. It was the purpose of the present inventors to develop a method for convenient disposal of ammonium pierate which has the least adverse impact on the environment while at the same time produces valuable by-products.
Destruction of nitrogen-containing explosives has been the subject is of various disclosures. German patent publication DE 413147-A1 discusses the hydrogenation of nitro-aromatic explosives in the presence of an alcohol solvent, hydrogen, and a catalyst at a temperature of 40.degree. C. to 100.degree. C. U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,179 discloses a process for destroying waste explosives containing nitro, nitrate, or nitroamino groups by hydrogenation.
The present inventors have found that it is possible to produce useful oxygenated products such as hydroquinone, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, and cyclohexanediol by hydrogenation of ammonium picrate.